Watson’s Olympic ambition to be decided next week
Heather Watson has another week to wait to see if she will play in her fourth Olympics this summer.
Team GB named their tennis squad for the Paris Games over the weekend and the Guernsey star is not among the confirmed seven-strong group.
However, the 32-year-old has been put forward as part of a women’s doubles nomination alongside Katie Boulter, who is the sole female participant for Great Britain in the singles after Emma Raducanu turned down the chance, having only just returned from a lengthy injury lay-off, with their potential involvement to be determined by the ITF – the governing body of world tennis, who run the tournament – on Tuesday 25 June.
If GB are successful in their application for Watson and Boulter to play in the doubles, it is likely the Sarnian would then also partner Joe Salisbury in the mixed doubles.
‘My biggest goal in the last 12 months was to play in my fourth Olympics in Paris,’ Watson told PA.
‘So I put a big push on doubles in the last 12 months. I started off playing every week.
‘It was after Wimbledon where I set that goal for myself because I just wanted to give it a good old go.
‘Hopefully I am able to go and play doubles with Katie Boulter and mixed doubles with Joe Salisbury. That has been my main focus.
‘London 2012 was one of the best experiences of my life.
'It is an honour to be at such an amazing event.’
Meanwhile, Watson has been granted a wild card into this week’s Rothesay Classic in Birmingham.
She will meet the world number 37 Marie Bouzkova in the first round of the singles.
Watson will also play in the doubles alongside Belgian Greet Minnen and they have drawn Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski.
